Poll

New CPO powers missing from Queens Speech

Date: 23/6/2017

Planning magazine reports that the absence from the Queen's Speech of any promised legislation to make compulsory purchase orders easier for councils to use could hamper planning authorities ability to drive housing delivery, according to the Planning Officer Society.

Planning Officers Society Chair Mike Kiely told a reporter that further legislation would be needed to complement changes made to the compulsory purchase process by the Housing and Planning Act and the Neighbourhood Planning Act. "With the current powers, we are not confident about compulsorily purchasing stalled housing sites," he said. A lack of new compulsory purchase powers could undermine the even-handedness of the white paper's approach to driving up delivery, Kiely added.

"The white paper balances a measure of holding planning authorities to account with giving them an ability to push developers to deliver," Kiely said. "Compulsory purchase is a key part of that. Without new powers, our ability to be proactive will be significantly reduced".